A checklist and taxonomic key to the ticks [Acari: Ixodidae and Argasidae] of Illinois: Establishing a baseline for research and surveillance

Ticks [Acari: Ixodidae and Argasidae] are major vectors of medical and veterinary importance, and over the last few decades the United States Midwest has become a hotspot for tick-borne disease risk. However, one major hurdle in understanding tick populations in the Midwest is the scarcity of resources available on tick taxonomy in this region. Checklists of tick species present in the Midwest are lacking, as are corresponding natural history and identification resources. The goal of this thesis was to develop taxonomic resources for the ticks of Illinois in order to gain a better understanding of the biodiversity and natural history of ticks in the state. Chapter 1 addressed this goal through the development of a checklist of tick species present in Illinois, their distributions, and their host associations. This was done by synthesizing collection records from scientific literature, natural history collections, contemporary citizen submissions, and interception reports. This chapter found thirteen species of ticks, one in the family Argasidae and twelve in the family Ixodidae, that meet the criteria for establishment in Illinois. Records of these thirteen species have been recovered from seventy-seven different host species. There were another twenty-five species that were reported in Illinois on either native hosts, humans, migratory birds, or imports, but not in high enough quantities to be considered established. Chapter 2 expanded upon these results through the creation of taxonomic keys for the fifteen species of nymphal hard ticks that have been either established or reported on native hosts in Illinois. Nymphal ticks are among the most important life stages for disease transmission, and the identification of nymphs is important for assessments of tick-borne disease risk. Two types of taxonomic keys were constructed: a traditional dichotomous key and a matrix-based key, with the goal of making pictographic nymphal tick identification resources that are concise and easy to use. Combined, the results of these two chapters consolidate and update information on the biodiversity, distributions, host associations, and identification of ticks in Illinois, and in doing so establishes a baseline of knowledge from which robust tick surveillance, control, and research programs can be developed.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Entomology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2022

Author dc:creator

• Struckhoff, Emily Dolores

Contributors dc:contributor

• Stone, Chris
• Tuten, Holly
• McElrath, Tommy
• Allan, Brian

• Ticks
• Acari
• Ixodidae
• Argasidae
• taxonomy
• identification

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2022 Emily Struckhoff

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/115754

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F115754